Sripura (Archaeological Survey)

by Bikash Chandra Pradhan | 2011 | 37,938 words

This study examines the Archaeological remains of Sripura from the period A.D. 650-800, revealing all varieties of archaeological materials, viz., art and architecture, coins, copper plate and stone epigraphic records and seals etc. highlighting the history and cultural heritage of Shripura. This ancient city was the capital of South Koshala under ...

Notes: The Sarbhapuriyas And The Amararyakula Dynasty

The real name of the royal dynasty as Amararyakula was not known till the discovery of the Mallar plates of Vyaghraraja the Sarbhapuriya king (EI, XXXIV, 45-50). So on the basis of the name of the place of issue of numerous records of the dynasty, i.e. Sarabhapura, the dynasty came to be called as the Sarbhapuriyas.

However, it is difficult to identify Sarbhapura with any present locality in Chhattisgarh region for want of any archaeological evidence. As i result, i great deal of controversy has arisen in regard to it. A Cunningham has identified the place with Arbhi, a village in Wardha district of Maharastra (ASR, XVII, p. 57, ff). He gave an alternative suggestion that it might be identical with modern Sambalpur in Western Orissa. Fleet (CII, III, p. 91) and Sten Konow (EI, XIII, p. 108) has rejected Cunningham’s views L.P. Pandeya (EI, I, p. 186 ff; also Proceedings of 5th oriental conference, p. 461) at one time proposed to identify Sarbhapura with Sarabhagarh, the chief town of the ex-state of Gangpur in Orissa. He revised his view and suggested that Sarbhapura might be identical with Sarawa, near Seorinarayan or with Sabhar near Nandaur in Bilaspur district (IHQ, XV, p. 475) D.C. Sircar (IHQ, XIX, p. 144; EI, XXXIII, p. 155) thinks that Sarbhapura was located near Sripura, identified with present Sirpur, as some of the inscriptions issued from Sarbhapura have been found in the Raipur district. M.G. Dixit (EI, XXXI, p. 264) supported the view of D.C. Sarkar. K.D. Bajpai and S.K. Pandey (Mallar, 1975-77, pp. 252-29) have proposed to identify Sarbhapura with Mallar in Bilaspur district of present Chhattisgarh state. S.P. Tiwiari (Comprehensive History of Orissa, pp. 91-99, Calcutta, 1983 hereinafter referred to as CHO) and J.P. Sahu, HGO, pp. 68 ff) finds it difficult to support the view and thinks that Maraguda might be a frontier fort of south Kosala. He thinks that the location of Sarbhapura shall have to be traced in the south-west of Kosala, i.e. towards the boarder of Maharastra. Dr. Sahu is inclined to support Hiralal’s view (Inscriptions in Central Provinces and Berar, p. 14, Nagpur, 1932, hereinafter referred to as ICPB) that Bhandak (Chanda in Maharastra) might have been the ancient Sarbhapura.

In our opinion, the search for the place on the basic phonetic resemblance between the place names of the records and the present places for identifying the one with the other is not always dependable. A.M. Sastri (Inscriptions of the Sarbhapuriyas, Panduvamsins and Somavamsins, Pt-I, p. 92, New Delhi, 1997, hereinafter referred to as ISPS) gives a reasonable suggestion that the antiquity of a locality must be taken into account while considering its identification with Sarbhapura. The Raipur-Bilaspur-Raigarh region of the present Chhattisgarh state and Nawapara and Kalahandi districts of Orissa were the provenances of all the inscriptions, numismatic finds and art and architectural materials of the Sarbhapuriyas. The fact that all the three epigraphic records of the Sarbhapuriya king Narendra (Pipardulaplates, R.Y. 3, Kurud plates, R.Y. 24 and Rawan plates, ISPS, Part-II, pls. I:I, I:II,, I:III, pp. 5-13), who was the first known paramount ruler of this dynasty and was described as the son and successor of Sarbha (founder of Sarbhapuriya dynasty), have been discovered in the Raipur district of present Chhattisgarh state.

This made A.M. Sastri (ISPS, Part-I, p. 92) to think that:

“It is therefore not impossible that Sarbhapura which served as the cap[ital of the dynasty at the very start, was actually situated in the Raipur region”.

D.C. Sircar (IHQ, XIX, p. 144) and M.G. Dixit (EI, XXI, p. 264) have also subscribed to the view. The perusal of the views of the learned scholars and the consideration of historical facts lead us to the conclusion that it is futile to search the ancient city of Sarbhapura in the political map of present time. We may further add that in the absence of adequate digging in the various sites of the border land of Chhattisgarh and Orissa, knowledge about the itinerary of HJiuen Tsang precisely and such other dependable facts the search of Sarbhapura would be like groping in the dark.

For a detailed discussion of Sarbhapura kindly refer to:

i) Tiwary, S.P., Comprehensive History of Orissa, Calcutta, 1985.

ii) Comprehensive History and Culture of Orissa, pp. 138-142, Vol. I, Pt. Samal, J.K. ansd 1, Delhi, 1997. ed. Mishra, P.K. hereinafter referred to as CHCO

iii) Nema, S.K.–Political History of the Somavamsi king of South Kosala and Orissa, pp. 32-42, New Delhi, 1978 (hereinafter referred to as PHSSKO).

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